There are 47 days until the spring equinox, but only 29 days until the first day of meteorological spring. (Plus, if you're reading this on Sunday, rabbit, rabbit, rabbit and welcome to February). That means it must be time for our annual winter reading poll!
Tell us about a great book to curl up with on a frosty winter night, and what fragrance we should wear while reading it. (Or, do what I do and record here everything you have read since the last quarterly reading poll. And if you want more recommendations, scrolling through the literature tag will bring up all the older reading polls.)
Or, as always, just talk about something else.
What I've read since the fall poll:
On the non-fiction front, I finally read Tom Piazza's Living in the Present with John Prine, a short tribute which has been sitting on my bedside table since I got it for my birthday last year. I knew it would make me cry and it did. This is the book I will scent: Demeter Gingerale, for Prine's favorite cocktail — vodka and gingerale — as referenced in the book and in his song When I Get To Heaven.
I also read 2 non-fiction books by Patrick Leigh Fermor. DeniseH recommended him in the fall poll, and then I got lucky on two visits to used book stores (he is not well represented in our library system). So far, I have finished A Time of Gifts and Between The Woods and The Water, plus I'm in the middle of Artemis Cooper's Patrick Leigh Fermor: An Adventure, and I have a nice stack still to go.
For fiction, I finished off the works of Elizabeth Strout (My Name Is Lucy Barton; Olive, Again; Oh William!; Lucy by the Sea and Tell Me Everything). Now I'll have to wait for her next book, which is due out in May. I also read Maria Reva's Endling (fantastic), Kiran Desai's The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny (long and meandering but I am glad I read it), Philip Pullman's The Rose Field (ditto), Andrew Miller's The Land in Winter (wonderful but a bit bleak and I kind of wish I'd saved it for summer) and Jonathan Buckley's One Boat (ditto).
I read two older spy novels (Robert Littell's The Defection of AJ Lewinter and Joseph Kanon The Prodigal Spy) and a few mysteries: Margaret Frazer's The Squire's Tale, Laura Lippman's Murder Takes A Vacation and The Killing Stones by Anne Cleeves.
Note: top image is detail from The Librarian by Giuseppe Arcimboldo, 1562, oil on canvas, via Wikimedia Commons, public domain.
Only one book I have been reading these days and that is the Bible.
Wore Infusion d’Iris while snowshoeing three miles in total on my property. What a workout because the snow is still so deep! I was sweating! And I cut a path for the local deer to make it easier for them to walk
https://www.instagram.com/chocolatemarzipan8/p/DULvTJrkYBS/
That’s wonderful to hear. I imagine reading the Bible can be grounding and reflective—there’s so much depth there. I hope it’s been nourishing for you. Fragrant hugs
Very grounding and a beautiful way to start and end my day. Plus, helps to curb the anxiety 🥰🥰
Good for you! The Bible is supposedly the number one book read in the world. I have read the entire New Testament but have found the Old Testament difficult to read. Maybe someday.
Yes it is! One summer I read it in its entirety. Right now I am focusing on the New Testament but might challenge myself again this summer to read the Old Testament as well.
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/nov/21/dominion-making-western-mind-tom-holland-review?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
I read a book you might find interesting called Dominion by historian Tom Holland about the impact of Christianity ( the cultural influence) on the western world during the period from crucifixion to modern day. It’s really interesting, dealing with everything from American history , to wokeness, to the Beatles …very wide ranging and very well written.
Tom Holland also does a podcast called The Rest is History which is really good ( I think it’s the most listened to history podcast)
Kanuka – such a great podcast.
Thank you !!!!! The book definitely looks interesting!!! I have been listening to nothing but health podcasts these days but perhaps I may mix it up a bit with your great recommendations!!! I am giving up tv and news for Lent so I will have a lot more time for podcasts at night
Wow!!!! That podcast looks amazing!!!!! I am excited to explore!
His books about Islam and the Roman empire are fantastic too
So glad you posted this, either someone (you?) here mentioned Dominion or I read a review, but it never made it to my list. Now that’s taken care of.
I love snowshoeing! and it is good for working up a sweat!😅💪
It is an amazing workout!
SOTD is 31 Rue Cambon—and after my shower, I may stay faithful to it or another Chanel.
Unless you’ve been only half-present here, you’ll know I recently tore through the first two books in the Heated Rivalry series. Last weekend’s reading, however, was a mixed bag: The Reader held my attention, while Hemingway’s The Garden of Eden felt dull and repetitive—one of those books where you keep waiting for it to reveal why it’s a classic.?! Or maybe not …
Several years ago I read Spring Snow, which cemented my love for Japanese writers. My library queue is currently stacked with novels in that vein. Open to other suggestions!?
Some other books I took out I already brought back as I am not feeling them at the moment.
For now, I’ve started Half His Age, a new release, and I’m easing into it
Smelling fabulous!
I have read quite a few books recently that I believe you would enjoy. So, check my list later today.
Absolutely!
I can remember the fuss over the Garden of Eden because of its editing ( cutting the book down from 800 pages). There was quite a stir about it, whether or not it destroyed the book. I haven’t read it . The Reader was made into a film with Ralph Fiennes and Kate Winslet. I read Schlink’s latest novel The Granddaughter but wasn’t taken with the writing ( East Germany/ Reunification subject)
I had no idea. I feel like very chapter it was so repetitive and then that is boring for the reader
Post shower in Sycomore
You smell exquisite!
On day 4 of Infusion d’iris. Infusion d’iris wasn’t playing as nice as I hoped with lavender perfume as I thought. I haven’t come across any good books so far. After today, I am off for 2 days but have a Costco run that needs to be done tomorrow since we have become meat and side dish poor. Thinking of making tacos tonight.
We have Costco on our list of things to do
I’m wearing Hiris, still playing nice and really enjoying this beauty after talk of it this week. I haven’t worn it in quite awhile and it smells even better than I remembered.
So excited because I’m having lunch today with my beloved “little” sister who has now made it through her first trimester💕
Wonderful news about your sister. And Hiris is a lovely choice, it always conjures up early spring to me.
I was definitely feeling early spring today🌸
Great perfume! I am so glad I purchased that one. You smell amazing.
Have fun with your sister.
Thank you, Kris. We had a great time catching up😊
Have a happy lunch and weekend
Thank you, Kanuka. It was so good to be with my sister and fun to get her 2 desserts since she’s now eating “for two”💕
How wonderful for your sister.
I hope it was a great lunch.
Thank you, lillyjo. We always have fun at our Christmas and birthday lunches. Though she’s my sister, she also feels like the daughter I never had because of the 30 year gap in our ages.
hope lunch was delish!
Thank you, it was delish! We went to a favorite restaurant in Seattle’s Pike Place Market with a lovely view of Puget Sound and the sun temporarily made an appearance for us 😊☀️
Wonderful!
I will see my sister three weeks from today.
I’m so glad you will see your sister soon and be able to celebrate her retirement in person💐
Most excellent news about your sister!
I did the tourist thing at Pike Place Market back in 2010. It was a lot of fun wandering thru there.
I remember my grandmother taking me with her to shop for her produce at Pike Place Market. I like that even though it is a tourist destination, it still feels like a “real” market.
I remember seeing a couple of fruit stands with very tempting produce, and a cheese shop that looked oh so inviting. But I was with someone who has a less adventurous palate than I do.
Definitely saw the fish tossing!
Wow, what a crazy amazing painting especially for 1562!!! He anticipated Cubism and many other things by several centuries.
I am swathed in layers of the pear marzipan tart that is La Belle Helene, received from a generous NSTer in the last swapmeet. (Thank you!). I am definitely gravitating toward my ‘gourmands’ these days, though I’m not sure either that or Felanilla would qualify formally as they’re not that sweet. Just sweet enough 🙂
Several books I’ve recently read and will enthusiastically recommend are by Len Deighton, a British Cold War novelist. The first was The Berlin Game, the protagonist is a scrappy non-Oxbridge British spy who grew up in post-war Berlin so is uniquely poised to move through those circles (perfect Berlina accent!). The second is a sort of sideways prequel called Winter that covers 1900-1945 and traces two generations of a Berlin family through WWI, the post war economic disaster and Communist uprisings, Weimar, the rise of Hitler & WWII. Why this hasn’t been made into a TV series, I don’t know.
For those with an archeologist and architecture bent and an interest in the Middle East, I can recommend Looking for Dilmun by Geoffrey Bibby about uncovering the 4,000 year old lost Kingdom of Dilmun in present day Bahrain and nearby areas in the mid 1950s right as oil discoveries began to ramp up, but Dubai and Bahrain were mostly sleepy places and fishing/pearl-diving villages). Had I read this as a kid (it came out in the 1960s), and would have fallen in love with archeology and probably made it my life’s passion. Another winner was Robert Byron’s The Road to Oxiana about his 1930s travels through Iran and Afghanistan chronicling with a savvy and enthusiastic critic’s eye the art and ancient architectural he found and with some salty descriptions of the Shah and the peoples he encountered, including the British legations of the time. Byron was a distant relative of Lord Byron. He had a true love of the region and deep knowledge and was on his way to spy for Britain in the Middle East in the early 1940s when he was killed, his ship was torpedoed by the Nazis and sank, everyone died.
Oh and you know who else reads the Bible avidly? Middle Eastern archeologists. Because many of the places and events and kingdoms and even land formations mentioned in the Bible are historically accurate and provide clues about where to dig, who lived there, who conquered whom, etc. They also read the Koran!
I read the hadiths from the Koran. I was gifted a Koran and a sheesham wood stand from a neighbor family who lived two down from us on a compound in Riyadh.
I have heard those are interesting. The book I’m reading, Looking for Dilmun, talks about how the Aramco oil co workers in Saudi Arabia in the 1950s would take picnics into the desert on weekends and prospect for pottery sherds, bit of figurines, etc. A lot of it was on the surface of the sand and up to 4,000 years old, amazingly. There was certainly more freedom of movement for foreigners then so long as they didn’t go into areas held at that time by rebel tribes.
DeniseH ~
It was sometimes hard and very cruel and sometimes magic.
And always very hot.
I am grateful beyond belief I lived on both sides of the Persian Gulf in those days. We did drive out to the desert and camp. If I turn away from my desk I have a 1970s camel saddle across the room.
My best friend lived on the Aramco compound and I would fly from Jeddah over to Al Kobar to stay with her and her three girls for a long weekend.
We lived near them in Greece, they moved to KSA before us.
Grateful.
Glad you’re enjoying the Belle Helene!
I sure am, thank you so much, Sapphire! Such a pretty bottle too.
I am done being polite – scent-wise. Today, after five days of pretty, inoffensive perfumes, I needed something with raw power, and I picked Miel de Bois. 🐝
Speaking of power, we had a scary situation earlier. Some kind of massive power grid malfunction happened, affecting several regions of Ukraine and even Moldova. I saw 300 V in our wall outlets today!! It seems like all appliances survived, though I am still monitoring for any less obvious damage.
So sorry about the power outage, Glannys. But you picked a great scent to celebrate the end of ‘play nice’ week. I like many honey scents but that phenolic note in MdB gets me every time.
To clarify: I enjoyed the “Play Nice” CP (otherwise I wouldn’t have participated), and I’m grateful to pyramus for the idea. It’s just that with the weather and events here, I often felt I needed something stronger.
Love your perfume choice. So sorry about everything you’re dealing with
Glannys, the amount of grace, grit and good humour you have brought over these past years brings me to my knees.
Thank you. People like you on NST really help me stay calm and keep my good humour.
Agree 100% with apsara.
Thank you!
Hard to beat Miel de Bois for raw power!
And so glad your appliances survived.
300V?!? For an American, seeing those numbers from a wall outlet is terrifying. Our number is usually 120V.
I do know that Europe runs on different voltages than the US.
The standard here (same as in the EU) is 230V. Anything over 253V = dangerous. Fridges, WiFi routers, microwave ovens are just some examples of appliances that stopped working on Saturday after that voltage surge.
Rabbit rabbit rabbit….Im hoping that February will finally bring the start of summer as it’s been cold and wet so far. We should see more high pressure hot weather spreading from Australia though ( they’ve been experiencing temperature in the high 40s, some around 49C which must be awful).
Because it’s the holiday season I’ve read a lot of books ( thanks again for the Trollope suggestion Robin).
https://observer.co.uk/culture/books/article/the-sisterhood-that-saved-afghanistans-female-judges
Then escape from Kabul by Karen Bartlett is an interesting book about a group of international women judges from NZ,USA, England and Europe who worked around the clock ( literally) to try and get female judges out of Afghanistan following the Taliban take over in 2021. When the Taliban released prisoners the formally imprisoned went on the hunt for the judges who put them in jail and that, as well as the Taliban itself, put these female judges at incredible danger. The book focuses in a few individual judges telling their life stories. The cultural differences when they reach Poland is also interesting ( one judge was outraged to be offered second hand winter clothes, fo eg.). The writing is a bit standard but the story is good.
The second book, a novel is called Grey Bees by Ukrainian author Andrey Kurkov.
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/04/25/a-ukrainian-novel-looks-between-the-lines-of-war
I’d read one of his novels years ago ( Death and the Penguin) but enjoyed this one more. Set in 2017, in the grey zone in Donetsk region and then Crimea it follows a beekeeper ‘Everyman’ who is trying to negotiate conflict and keep his bees alive. It’s a fantastic book, has a fable-like quality.
https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/a-dog-eat-dog-world/
The second novel is Simpatica by Venezuelan author Rodrigo Blanco Calderon. It was long listed for the Booker prize and in style I found it a little similar to Milan Kundera ( especially in the protagonist’s relationship with a younger, unavailable woman). The novel centres around a man who has to turn a mansion into a home for abandoned dogs – for all the dogs left behind when all the middle class, educated, and politically endangered people leave the country when Maduro took over. It’s a kind of allegory in a way, as the dogs stand in for the people. It’s worth reading but it’s not really a book that drew me in completely…I kept coming back to it.
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/sep/19/fierceland-by-omar-musa-review-poet-and-rappers-second-novel-pulses-with-life?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
The final novel I’ll mention is Fierceland by Malaysian-Australian Omar Musa, set in Malaysian Borneo about the adult children of a wealthy father, who return to Borneo following their father’s death and have to face his legacy, the fact that his wealth comes from cutting down forests and destroying the environment. The author is also a poet and rap artist so the writing is quite abstract in some parts and more standard prose in other…the Forest descriptions are good. I’m scenting with Aesop Tacit for that warm, vegetal scent. Sorry for my long posts! Have a good weekend.
This looks great, Kanuka.
Added to my wish list – release in USA is August 2026.
I always love your book lists. I’m looking through them now and thinking about which might be my style—the one about the bees really stands out to me. I still remember when you recommended The Sheltering Sky to me years ago; it ended up being one of my favorite reads.
2nd that — Kanuka, you have greatly contributed to my reading! All of these look fascinating.
Fascinating story, Kanuka, and thank goodness for those women jurists in the West and the brave women judges of Afghanistan.
I’m in Courreges Seconde Peau again this morning and listening to very loud grinding, pounding and whirring as the final touches are applied to our (currently empty) oven/range enclosure. Someday I’ll be able to bake again!
Not much reading going on here because it’s tax preparation time for my dad and for my mom’s estate, and the CPAs keep giving me homework to do. I did read House At Pooh Corner for the first time ever, and loved it. I’m also re-reading Agatha Christie’s Crooked House, a non-Poirot, non-Marple novel that she says in the foreword is one of her own favorites. Really interesting, engaging characters.
I hope your house returns to peace soon and you get a bit more quiet ( and a better bench).
Thanks, me too! I like the term “bench” — we don’t use it here, and don’t really have a one-word equivalent. Yours is efficient!
So funny. Kitchen bench is so common ( countertops is more recent, used more often by real estate agents or kitchen designers than anyone else)
Seriously, you just read House at Pooh Corner? How lovely! I still have a copy and do read bits every now and again. I am also fond of both of his poetry collections — Now We Are Six and When We Were Very Young.
I know! I’m well past retirement age and just now reading a children’s classic. It was the same with The Secret Garden and The Velveteen Rabbit. I just skipped over those as a kid and went straight to Michener’s The Source. When I was 12. 😆
Ha, I loved Michener too when I was young — read tons of them. (And actually have never read The Secret Garden I don’t think? If I did, it did not stick with me.)
Are your countertops and oven enclosure done now?
Countertop is done — the slot where the range goes just had to be widened a couple of inches, which meant cutting granite, and also meant the cabinet on one side had to be modified slightly. New range won’t be here until next Wednesday, I think. Since I had to empty that cabinet for construction, it gave me the chance to replace the 20-year-old shelf paper in some drawers and shelves. I’m getting good at microwave cooking. 😉
So close! And yet so far…
SheriG I love to read kids’ books and stories. The best ones have universal appeal, of course.
SOTD is Encens Mythique.
I have read a lot of great books since our last reading poll. Obviously, I won’t include the books I found mediocre at best.
1. The Women by Kristin Hannah. I am not normally a big fan of hers, but this book was excellent. I am quite sure many of you have read this, but it is about military nurses in Vietnam.
2. and 3. The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife by Anna Johnston and Theo of Golden by Allen Levi are both books I mentioned before. I probably liked them because the protagonist in both books are elderly men and this pairs with my background as a geriatric nurse. However, both books were recommended to me by young women that do not have my background. Both are heartwarming stories. I gave them both high ratings.
4. Full Bloom by Francesca Serritella is also a book I mentioned while I was reading it. This is about a Frenchwoman that make a bespoke perfume for her neighbor. I think perfume people, like most of us, would enjoy this book. There were a lot more storylines such as childhood trauma, sexual harassment and affordable housing, to name a few, that made it a little disjointed, but I still enjoyed it.
5. The Jasmine Trade, by our very own Denise, was a great book about the “parachute kids” in San Gabriel, CA. I have mentioned this one as well.
6. What Kind of Paradise by Janelle Brown is about a daughter and father living/surviving in the woods of Montana (think Unabomber). Fast forward when the father takes his to daughter to the big city to fend for herself as he deals with his old cronies from the tech world.
All of these books are fiction, but totally different genres. Some are historical fiction; others are suspense and still others are coming of age books.
Twins!
I really need to read The Women. I absolutely loved The Nightingale. Supposedly there is a movie in the works…
I did like The Nightingale, but I thought The Women was even better.
What a great, eclectic list, Kris. A few caught my eye. I want to read The Jasmine Trade because… Denise! But also because I actually went to high school with a “parachute kid”. At the time I remember thinking it was quite remarkable but now that I’m a mom of a high schooler myself, gosh, my mind is just blown. I can’t even fathom.
What Kind of Paradise sounds very interesting too, is it heavy or more light hearted?
I would say What Kind of Paradise is a thriller that is more on the heavy side. I liked it, but there is quite a bit of technology and AI discussed in it that I felt weighed it down a bit. The father had previously been involved in the tech world prior to moving in the woods. I would not consider it lighthearted.
Ooh, thanks for describing the vibe of the novel, I get it now. Will look for it at the library! I guess nothing about AI is lighthearted, except for maybe laughing at some comically incorrect things AI produces.
Being in my 60’s, I am not up on AI and technology like the kids are today, so this is why I say it weighed down the book a little. For some, it would not at all.
Great list! Which is your “must read”
Probably, The Women.
I’m home from my surgery! things went well. I’m mostly sleeping. Pain not too bad, I can’t type well with one hand so this is short.
Sending you get well wishes ❤️🩹
That great Calypso! I’m sure it’s a relief to have it over. Rest and I hope you have a good recovery!
So glad you got the surgery behind you. Take care.
Glad it’s over!
Mend well, Calypso.
Best wishes for easy healing!
Congratulations Calypso on getting this behind you. My Grandma Jenny liked to say that sleep is the very best medicine for healing. So sleep well and heal well, my fragrant friend.
Great news! Take care and mend well!
Sending you lots of healing vibes!
Glad it went well! Wishing you a full and speedy recovery.
So glad you’re on the other side and resting💐
Re-reading my post, it sounds a little more somber than I intended😬
May you feel better and better every day🌸😊
Oh yay, so glad you checked in. So glad the pain is not too bad, and hope your recovery goes smoothly. Sleep is good!
Get well soon, Calypso 💗
Glad to hear your procedure is over and done with! Heal up quickly and without complications.
A peaceful Saturday to all!
Sotd Encens Mythique! A most generous NSTer replenished by store w a FB when I said I was finding much comfort in the scent especially when layered with the frankincense oil from the head make-up artist for H/R.
Last quarter, nada books. Currently reading for our book club a Pulitzer Prize winning non-fiction book The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabelle Wilkerson. To scent it, I would pick Sun Force by The Harmonist. Sun Force celebrates the vitality of the sun, a force that colors our perception and reveals the vibrancy of our surroundings. The fragrance conjures the scent of citrus and exotic woods intensifying in the afternoon heat.
While I haven’t read the books, I did stream the first half of S4 of Bridgerton last night. I think my perceptions were impacted by all the poor reviews. It wasn’t as bad as I expected. S2 is my favorite followed by S1.
Hi twin 👋
I just started episode 1 of Bridgerton tonight 🙂
Hope you enjoy it Robin! Benedict is actually my fav Bridgerton sibling because I adore the take-to-devoted-spouse trope.
Bois des Iles on the wrists and vintage Samsara edt on the backs of my hands. Office sandalwood and date night sandalwood.
RIP Catherine O’Hara. We rewatched the first two episodes of Schitt’s Creek last night in her honor. So funny.
The only book I’ve been reading lately is Statistics for People Who (think they) Hate Statistics. Yes, that is an actual title of a textbook lol. I don’t really hate statistics, but I also haven’t taken it since 1991.😳 That was pre internet obviously, so I was most nervous about having to use the software that’s required for the class. So far, so good. I have been turning in the assignments and getting them right, so that’s encouraging. madtowntwenty took stats last year and gave the me the good tip of watching some YouTube tutorials on how to use it. That’s the only tip she could offer though because she DOES hate statistics and will not be helping me. 😅
I remember taking Stats as an undergrad oh so long ago and I did not like it either. We also had to use software with the class. In any case, I remember having to know at least the concepts so I was able to complete a major task.
That’s when I took stats too and I don’t think I was overly fond of it.
Numbers are not my thing but I lucked out and had the absolute coolest stats professor ever. I’m still thankful to him all these years later because that was a class that could have really held me up and bombed my GPA. 🧑🏫
Opposite here — numbers ARE my thing and yet I failed stats twice. 😂
I had a choice between Stats and Diff Eq in college. I took Diff Eq.
I actually liked Differential Equations way better than statistics. Certainly I had a much better prof for DiffyQ, and that probably contributed.
Oh yeah.
SOTD = Profumum Roma Dulcis In Fundo
Can it be more Italian than this?
We’re getting ready for another round of snow … well, maybe not snow but brutal cold which I am fine with. The only problem is that the company that did the snow clean up did a very poor job so if we get snow, there will be more snow piled on top of older snow.
In terms of books, I’m pretty sure I’ve read several although none of them are anything to write home about. I have two books that are partially read and I am waiting to get back on queue. Admittedly, I control how I get back on queue but that is story for another day.
If we get more snow I will not be able to open my back door…oh well, we do still have the front door!
Can’t say that I am upset about missing out on Arctic cold. You can keep that!
Did not finish The Loneliness of Sunny and Sonia – couldn’t keep picking up the thread. Oh well.
Finished Strangers ( Belle Burden) last night. I listened to the podcast from the NYT Modern Love and then got the book. I was shocked how much her marriage dissolved in the manner that mine did.
Read Murder Takes a Vacation ( Laura Lippman); Yet Here I Am ( Jonathan Capehart); Things in Nature Merely Grow ( Yiyun Li)
I am so distracted and heartsick over everything it really has to grab me from the get-go or I am done.
My sister worked her very last shift as an NP today. She is 74.
She did good. It is 27 degrees F where she is in North Florida.
Some Dame Mexican Vanilla body cream while I am furiously cleaning my kitchen.
Distracted and heartsick with you. 💔
Parts of Things in Nature Merely Grow were in New Yorker so I did not get the book, but I love her writing (read two other books by her) and wow, what a hard life.
I think part of the reason I am reading more lately is the “everything”. that I need to be distracted from. What a mess.
Congrats to your sister, that’s lovely.
Robin,
Anderson Cooper has a terrific podcast ” All There Is” about grief and loss. Li was his interview last week.
Oh thank you! Will add to my podcast queue, although it’s almost as long as my book queue…will get to it eventually! Currently in the middle of “The Wonder of Stevie” 🙂
Wow, he has interviewed so many interesting people! Downloaded several episodes. Thanks again.
Fabulous for your sister! What a rewarding career! My eldest is an NP and she absolutely loves it! She is working on S. I. 😹
So rewarding. So much of it at the VA.
Congrats to your sister, apsara. And hang in there, better times are ahead ❤️
Hoping, like much of nst.
Congratulations to your sister. She did the good work.
From being a candy striper at 15 to now, she has had one clear mission.
Amazing career arc, too.
I too love your sister’s career story-congratulations to her! Hopefully you two can have more sisterly adventures now that you are both off the hook. 😹
Reading absolutely nothing and listening to old comforting audiobooks at bedtime. My intellectual growth has been stunted by the state of nation and world in general. Just keeping it real. I wish I could post that I have a perfect family, my health is outstanding, and my job 100% satisfying, but alas, none of that is true. Doggo is getting extra belly rub sessions and I think it’s as soothing for me as it is for her, and that IS 100% true. Who said baby talk with your doggo isn’t therapeutic? 👶🐶
I made the mistake of spraying Chanel Comete last night and hated it. Also, I’m not understanding Coromandel at all. I bought a bottle of the Parfum a while back. The sales lady gave me a bunch of spray samples of it as well as few others in the line. I’ve sprayed from the samples multiple times and all I get is flowers. No amber, no benzoin, no incense- just flowers. I’ve never had such a disconnect between a scent profile and what I actually smell. The bottle of Parfum is unopened so I may just end up selling it because I’m NOT a flower child.
Stay safe, peeps!
Ha, as I just said above, I am reading more than ever for the exact same reason you are reading nothing. We all have our own coping mechanisms, right?
Wow, that is not Coromandel OR you are anosmic to something in the base??
I’m wondering if they were mislabeled..? I can’t figure out what else it could be because those are some of my favorite notes and are heavily represented in my little traveling perfume box. 🤷♀️
Well I do wonder. I get almost no flowers from Coromandel…I mean, I know they’re there, but the base is so heavy. It certainly doesn’t read as the floral fragrance family.
Baby talk with cats is absolutely therapeutic for me! Stay safe Deva
Seconding this!
Comete was a fast no for me also, Deva.
I keep track of the books I read in Library Thing and since October 30 I’ve read 53 books. About half were re-reads, but the remainder were uninteresting, mediocre, or just bad, with popular, well-reviewed titles among them. So no recommendations this quarter, and hopefully this spring will bring books more to my taste. But on the bright side, it’s 60F (15.5C) and sunny today and there will be shrimp burritos for dinner. I’m wearing 24, Faubourg.
Wow! You have read a lot of books in a short period of time. I can’t believe there wasn’t at least one that stood out to you.
Anyway, you smell fantastic.
Hope you find some books you enjoy.
You smell lovely.
Wow. As a child and young adult, I was a voracious reader. I just had a lot of free time on my hands. I started reading my father’s mystery books at about 12 or so, since that was what we had around. I can also remember going to the used bookstore and picking out the largest paperbacks, since I figured I would save even more money by getting the biggest books.
Now I am doing well if I can get 4-5 books read in a year and I am much pickier about the books I read.
I’ve always read a lot, and I read fast. When I retired, I rejoiced because I could read all I wanted, and I do. I, too, am pickier about the books I read now. I used to feel like I needed to finish anything I started but now if a book has bad writing, poor pacing, or just doesn’t engage me I set it aside.
Oh, so glad you shared this, it’s same for me! Years ago I always finished a book I started, but these days I don’t bother if a book disappoints.
53 not-great books!! That is a lot, I am sorry you did not love any of them.
I should clarify that I liked my re-reads; they are what got me through the other 26 “meh” selections. But I have either mentioned them here before or they are classics.
Aha. Good, otherwise that is such a dismal failure rate it’s hard to see why you’d go on reading 🙂
I finished reading Donna Tartt’s The Secret History which turned out to be a bit of disappointment. I loved The Goldfinch so I was really looking forward to The Secret History but it just didn’t really resonate with me and it has such a fandom that I was expecting more.
Currently I’m really enjoy A Century of Fiction in the New Yorker, a collection of short stories from 1925 to 2025. I recently watched the documentary of the 100th anniversary of the magazine (on Netflix) and that prompted me to pick this up. The short story format seems to match my restlessness right now! I aim to read at least one each day, it’s been fun. Would be great to try to scent each story, I’m reading them in chronological order so of course it’s also tempting to just think of what scents were popular in that decade.
My family is away skiing today so I’m enjoying quiet time alone. Watching tv, doing some decluttering, and going to bake a cardamom cherry loaf cake later (first time trying this recipe). So far I’m commando, but I’m tempted to do a compare and contrast of some amber perfumes and samples, since She-ra mentioned several ambers yesterday.
I’m with you. I found The Secret History very disappointing. I liked The Goldfinch as well.
Your cake sounds fabulous!
The cake turned out good but I could not detect the cardamom. If I ever make it again, I will have to double the amount!
I liked that Netflix documentary but it was too short, or too focused on things I did not care about maybe? I was really disappointed that some of my favorite writers weren’t included.
But I should get that book, I nearly always like the fiction in the magazine…I probably read 95% of the stories.
Yes, I agree the documentary was too short and missing a lot of favorite writers! I LOVED the segment on Roz Chast and wished it was twice as long.
Yes, actually loved all the writers they did talk to and would have watched most of them longer. The “putting the magazine together” part was also interesting but I would have taken less of that and more writers.
p.s. you probably already know about this but just in case…
Roz Chast Interview: A Cartoonist Explores Fear, Anxiety, & Humor
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxbTuVGPQpk
SOTD is Velvet, Amber Blackberry, from Victoria’s Secret d/c Parfums Intimes collection. With blackberry, amber and rose notes, everything about this fragrance – its name, the deep wine coloring of its packaging, the scent itself – beautifully personify my concept of plush velvet fabric. It’s a winter ❤️ for me.
Here’s my recommendations for the poll:
Fiction:
1. North Woods by Daniel Mason: the story of what starts its life as a humble cabin in the woods and becomes the home of an extraordinary succession of human and nonhuman characters alike. For history lovers and lovers of old houses!
2. Sugar and Spite by MC Beaton with R.W. Green. It’s been a while since I read an Agatha Raisin comedic mystery – the cranky, crafty sleuth from tiny Carsely in the Cotswold. MC Beaton passed away in 2019 but apparently left manuscripts behind that her friend RW Green is continuing to publish. A fun – and poignant – read for fans of British cozy mysteries.
Non-Fiction:
1. The Light Eaters by Zoe Schlanger. A scientific look at plant intelligence. Calling all gardeners, did you know that plants have the ability to communicate? Fascinating!
2. Fuzz by Mary Roach. A quirky look at human and wildlife conflict. What happens when animals break the law – a jaywalking moose and a bear caught breaking and entering among others. Calling all animal lovers here.
3. Star of the Show by Dolly Parton and Tom Roland. Dolly tells us how she knew she always wanted to be a star, what she did to achieve her goals and what she gave up to do so. Lots of great photos. Who’s not a fan?
Happy weekend to all! 📖 📕 📚
Read North Woods a couple of years ago and enjoyed immensely! Absolutely love his writing. Would also recommend “A Registry of My Passage Upon the Earth,” “The Piano Tuner” and “The Winter Soldier” by the same author. He has a new one coming out this year called “Country People.”
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/817742/country-people-by-daniel-mason/
I read North Woods for a library book discussion and I absolutely loved it. The only other one I read was The Piano Tuner but I didn’t enjoy it as much. Will definitely check out his other ones.
The Light Eaters sounds amazing.
It is! Absolutely incredible how plants can actually ‘communicate’! A wealth of fascinating info in this book.
I loved The Piano Tuner, but then I will read, listen or do anything else to feel Burma near me.
I read North Woods this past summer. I went to school in western Massachusetts and I loved the historical aspect and the description of the flora and fauna in the book. I was a little taken aback by the mystical aspect of the story.
I live in a very old house that has seen various additions and numerous families. I know much of its history and often wonder about those that came before me, so this book really spoke to me.
My house is from 1955. From what I can tell, I am the 3rd possibly 4th owner. I sometimes wonder about the future people that will live here. I hope they are nice.
The original part of my house is from the 1870’s and is rumored to have been a stagecoach stop before it was a ‘home.’ Think of the people who passed through here!
I remember seeing a couple of articles in scientific journals about how plants communicate thru pheromones a while ago. Pretty cool stuff!
I don’t have anything to recommend for the reading poll but I have been taking some notes (screenshots actually) of everyone else’s readings.
I wore my first purchase of 2026, Fugazzi’s Vanilla Haze. I bought my sample more than a year ago and initially thought it was just so-so but I took the sample traveling with me in the fall and decided I liked it quite a bit. There is definitely a gourmand aspect to it but less dessert-like than Bianca Latte.
Congrats on your new bottle!
I do reading poll screenshots too 😊
Rabbit rabbit rabbit!!! 🐇🐇🐇
Can’t sleep so I made myself a mug of strong coffee. If I am awake, might as well be WIDE AWAKE!
RIP Catherine O’Hara. She was in so many iconic roles and she was so fantastically funny in Schitt’s Creek (I highly recommend a watch if you haven’t already!).
The only books I’ve flipped through recently are cookbooks so nothing for the reading poll.
Finally, my sotd is ELdO Story of Your Life. Sandalwood and crusty bread that opens very reminiscent of Jeux de Peau. Might be a bit heavy for summer but perfect in the cold.
Joining you in sleeplessness and rabbits.
Joining happy888 with coffee – only mine is not very strong, but a milder blend.
I’m wearing Hanbury because it’s such a happy, sunny scent, and maybe if I start the month with an uplifting perfume, the rest of it will go well too?
Excellent plan, Glannys! I love your positive thinking. 🆙🆙🆙!!!
Absolutely perfect choice Glannys!
Rabbit x3
Yesterday, one of my library holds finally came in: The House of Doors by Tan Twan Eng. Years ago, someone here on NST recommended to me to read The Garden of Evening Mists—a book I absolutely adored—so I didn’t hesitate. I set aside my current read and dove straight in.
I’m sipping Blackberry Jasmine tea (a generous sample from a fellow NSTer, though I sadly don’t know the maker)
For the Olympics-themed community project, I’m wearing Ralph Lauren Safari and starting my perfume pairings a day early. Ralph Lauren outfits Team USA, he captures the American spirit like no one else. There’s currently an ice sculpture at Rockefeller Center I’m hoping to see.
I didn’t know that about RL. Great pairing!
I haven’t seen it yet but here you go: https://youtu.be/ZbEL_3-6zLM?si=TSmjRGay4dALnzp9
Loved House of Doors, hope you will too.
Also loved Garden of Evening Mists, but have been bogged down in the middle of his first book, Gift of Rain, for months now and don’t know if I’ll be able to finish it. Finding it too dire for my current dire state of mind.
I looked up The Gift of Rain and it seems like a really good book. I’m sorry you weren’t able to finish it—maybe it’s one to set aside and come back to later?
You might have been the one who recommended The Garden of Evening Mists to me. I found that a very challenging read at first—Aritomo was such a complex character that I nearly stopped reading—but I pushed through and was so glad I did. I ended up loving that book, truly loved it, by the end. Pretty sure I had tears in my eyes.
It is a very good book, and just challenging because the events it depicts are so dire (the Japanese occupation of Malaysia during WW2) and I am not in the right frame of mind at the moment. I will finish it some day.
My theme for this week is TIME TRAVEL, a community projected I suggested in 2017. I am wearing Cristalle EDT , which takes me back to the late 70s/early 80s when I performed with the Metropolitan Opera at Lincoln Center.
Robin, have we ever done a community project of Winter Citrus? Or Winter Floral? Or Summer Leather/Summer Oriental( for those in opposite hemisphere?). That was another cp suggestion of mine in 2017 and Cristalle certainly fits the bill. I love this one most in the cold weather.
You smell magnificent cm8.
I think I will join you today in the edp. Cristalle is definitely a winter perfume for me. It is cold ( I think it’s around 5 degrees) but sunny here. I feel like Cristalle just dances on top of snow.
Well hello scent sister!!! Edp is beautiful too! And most def it dances on the snow!!! Winter citrus all the way!!!
are you wearing the current formulation?
Yes! And I love it.
I would definitely say that Elixir des Merveilles is the most winter-y citrus I can imagine. And Winter Palace smells like the tea my Mom used to make us (brewed hot) and served with sugar and lemon during cold winter months (and all year round actually, She did that for us). Cristalle in cold weather? I always thought that it would smell beautiful on cold days. I never tried it in the cold yet but always thought it smells like it would shine on a cold day. Now I see I was right in what I was thinking.
Give it a try!!! It’s good!
I agree with you about the Elixir Des Merveilles!
Me too.
I’ve heard that Cristalle pairs incredibly well with wintry weather.
It really does!!!!
Gosh, really think we did winter citrus but I am not sure. Will have to investigate.
I give up 🤪
I am probably missing something as usual, I’m sorry! Have we never done a project of yours?
Headed to warmer climes today and hoping to get some great sunset/night sky photos. Well, as best I can with my iPhone, which probably won’t be stellar. See what I did there? 🙃
Just had scalding shower with BBW Vanilla Bean Noel, followed by L’Essence. I surprise no one. Coffee, fill my fresh tank, and away we go! 🏜️
Kind of scent twins. I showered with BBW Vanilla Bean too followed by the body cream of this and then Shalimar-Jasmine.
Safe travels Deva!
Happy trails to you and T-Rex!
Travel safe you two!
Good morning! I started reading comments yesterday and somehow got distracted by something and never posted a comment.
I’m reading Have His Carcase, a Peter Whimsey mystery. Dorothy Sayers wrote it in 1932 – that’s getting to be a long time ago!
I wore Chant d’Arômes yesterday, and I’m wearing the ever-lovely Mitsouko today.
I loved that series! Have not read in a long time though.
Very cold for us where I’m at… We woke up to the coldest day of the year. Not as cold as the northern states but to us – extremely cold!! I retrieved my bottles of: vintage Coco Eau de Parfum in a 50ml crystal flacon and my vintage Coco pure parfum in a 7.5ml. I smeared them all over myself, tapped some into the shirt and hair. I am in a beautiful Coco bubble now to keep me warm.
Wednesday I ordered a bottle of Chanel #18 from the website (and some powder for my face) – when that arrives I will be a happy owner of 2 bottles of #18 and I can open/use one and keep the other stashed. Funny thing is I ordered Wednesday – and now it says it will be here Monday. But a day later on Thursday I ordered some doggie food and treats from PetSmar* and it got here the very next day. I can’t describe myself as the most patient person so I wish everything got delivered about an hour after I place an order haha.
I also treated myself to two things I have been dreaming about having: an 18k Camelia Chanel ring in white gold (the least expensive I could find) and a bottle of Beige parfum. I do not dream of having a closet full of high-end clothing. My $50 purse is like a splurge to me. I bought two pairs of shoes that were just $30 each. But perfume? Perfume is a real investment!! I wanted a bottle of Les Exclusifs parfum before they all disappear or become way to expensive on the secondary market. I debated whether I should get the Coromandel parfum BUT it was Beige and 1932 that stole my heart. Don’t get me wrong, I wholeheartedly agree that Coromandel “is the Chanel to have”, I adore it so much but it all comes down to personal tastes.
I was expecting Comete to absolutely mesmerize me, to captivate me – and while it’s beautiful, and very very sweet – it was the “unsuspecting” Beige that took my heart (and 1932 and #18 but I already said that before). I never lean towards tropical smelling fragrances too much at all. But Beige… The floral essences used in it (or the Eau de Parfum which is the only version I have smelled so far) were sooo gorgeous, angelic, remarkable to me.
Beige to me weirdly smells like what L’Artisan tried to accomplish with La Chasse Aux Papillons, this may sound crazy but I kind of imagine what “effect” the parfumeur was trying to achieve. It’s like La Chasse is trying so hard to go that direction but just… the absolutes, the essences, the precious fragrant oils have to be of toppest, top quality. And I feel like where La Chasse is trying to scream, Beige just sighs and sings way louder in that direction. I love Beige and cannot wait for it to arrive in it’s perfect pure parfum quality.
Did you try 31 Rue Cambon?
I love 1932 but it doesn’t last on me all that long to justify the price but would like a bottle of both one day
I was thinking RC too. To me, that’s the best of the bunch.
31 Rue Cambon is the first ever Les Exclusif I tried many, many years ago. It was a decant included as a gift in a makeupalle* swap (when it was a thing back then). I carried that memory in my head through the years as “the beautiful Chanel chypre-ish fragrance of higher standards” – it’s just I memorized it in my own head. I have recently acquired another decant and it’s amazing!! To me it reminds me of a Church building somehow. Love the blast of black pepper/incense-y notes with some citrus to soften it. But I do not find any resemblance to 1932. I have zero idea what is everyone talking about when comparing it to 1932. I wish I knew why people say 31 Rue Cambon and 1932 resemble each other.
maybe the aldehydes in the opening. The classical Chanel smell…
1932 veers very shampoo floral on me after the opening dries down. 31RC is not the same.
So I agree-they are not the same!
Happy Sunday! Happy February 1st! I forgot my rabbits but wish all a very good month! Or at least a month where during an outing a shifting in the dark winter clouds allows a patch of sunlight to illuminate the sidewalk of your February days. One can’t can’t resist hurrying to bask in that sunlight’s brief glory and pray it’s a sign of better days to come.
Sotd TF Ombre Leather 16 (not 18). Smelling rather masculine today, but it was what I craved. Very warm here.
I have extra rabbits for you, I remembered for once!! I almost never do.
Thank you Robin!!! 🐇🐇🐇
Finally, it’s February! I feel like I’ve waited forever to turn the calendar page over and watch winter ebb. Temps finally in the mid-20’s with blue skies and bright 🌞 and very little wind, so I braved the cold and went for a much-needed dip outside in the hot tub. This always nourishes and heals my soul as well as my body and it’s been weeks since the last time I did that. I’d give up many things but our hot tub is one of the small but very important pleasures of my life!
My February fragrance themes are chocolate 🍫 and roses🌹, and my SOTD is Pacifica Mexican Cocoa. It’s a shame this lovely blend of chocolate, spices, almond and vanilla is d/c, my bottle is almost empty and I will miss it when it’s gone.
Happy February and Happy Sunday to all!💘💝💖
Ah, and I participated in your theme today but starting a Chuao Spicy Maya chocolate bar! But could not get my sauna because of a swim meet at my gym, so did not get the other one of my important pleasures. Glad you got in the hot tub!
It is really warm in L.A., almost 80 degrees, I am almost embarrassed to confess with so much of the nation in deep freeze, so I’m cooling off with Chanel Paris Deauville thanks to a very kind and generous NSTer. (thank you!!) I didn’t think I’d be reaching for this today, but Mother Nature has proven me wrong.
OMG jealous jealous jealous.
Enjoy it!
That artwork really looks like it’s early 20th century cubism, not from the 1560’s!
🐇🐇🐇! I have a spare set of rabbits for whoever wants them.
Joining DeniseH in embarrassingly warm weather, though certainly not 80 degrees. It was in the low 60’s here, with more in store later on this week.
SOTD = Hypnotic Poison EdT, from an older 50mL bottle I found on eBay. There is a difference between it and the current 30mL bottle I have; the older one has more “oomph” to it. The scent profile between the 2 bottles seems to be very similar, though.
You smell great, and I am likewise jealous of even low 60s! According to my watch it is currently 16F here.
When I moved here many moons ago, every winter was like this, but I am not used to it anymore.
I remember winter temperatures in Colorado being colder than what I have experienced since moving back. Sure, there was the occasional 60-degree day in January or February. But not weeks of it!
New Jersey certainly had its fair share of gnarly winter weather when I moved out thataway in the 1990’s. But the last 3 years or so that I lived there were ridiculously mild. Lots of rain instead of snow.
You moved in the nick of time!
You know it! I had wonderful driving weather across the country, except for the first night leaving NJ. I got rained on then. The rest of the drive was mild and dry.
The lack of oomph is what stops me from getting a current bottle of HP. How is the oomph with the edp?
I can’t really smell the EdP. Pretty sure I am anosmic to something in it. What I could smell wasn’t nearly as interesting as the EdT. My $0.02 worth.
I have a little bottle I bought in 2018. I still like it and it still smells like HP but I had to start thinking of it as a pretty, powdery almond scent and not HP, it does lack the bite of the original.
Really I just wanted to say 👋 Jalapeno.
Hiya ringthing!
Not sure when my “older” Hypnotic Poison bottle was made. Looking up the batch code says 2023, but I don’t believe that. Lots of details are different between the 2025 bottle I have and the older bottle.
sotd = Luci ed Ombré
Light and shadow seems like a good way to start February. Light will follow darkness.
I’m reading The Theoretical Minimum by George Hrabovsky and Leonard Susskind. My mathematics professor father challenged me to read it to help me make connections between math and physics. It’s fun but it does make my head hurt sometimes as I try to puzzle my way through. 😆 I’ll pair it with Escentric Molecule 01.
Also reading Wild Nights by Benjamin Reiss, a kind of treatise on the history and nature of human sleep. I’m hoping to improve my own sleep by learning more about it. Perfume companion could be Infusion d’Iris, one I always like after an evening shower before bed. 😴
And my comfort reading is a Mma Ramotswe story, The Minor Adjustment Beauty Salon by Alexander McCall Smith. I like to imagine Mma Ramotswe relaxing in her beloved garden wearing a dab of BWF, so I’ll go with Jardins de Bagatelle. 💮📚💕
🐰🐰🐰 to everyone! 😊
Nice book list !!
I am trying Cristalle today for the Winter Olympic theme. I am going with lillyjo comment above-that it “dances on snow”
What a great match! Cristalle is just beautiful.
You smell great
You guys gave me the idea! Thank you
Stupid Groundhog!
Sotd Coco edt.
😂
Lololol lillyjo 😂
At least you smell wonderful!
That rodent has a lot to answer for.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Isn’t there a groundhog in Ohio? Why are you paying attention to a PA rodent?
I’m still sleeping a lot. I just had oatmeal. My book club is now reading Harsh Times by Vargas-Llosa. It’s historical/political and hard to follow. Before this we read Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Marquez. Violent but fascinating.
Last night I started Culinary Class Wars on. Netflix, the Korean cooking competition show. It’s a very slick production with some interesting chefs, like the woman Buddhist monk who is a master temple chef. The judges are interesting too.
Still not feeling up to typing much. I’m not wearing perfume either.
Oh, Calypso, I hope you start feeling better soon. Iirc it’s your shoulder you had surgery on? Rest, read, relax.
Wishing you healing and rest.
I was very sick recently as well as my 6 year old little girl. She had a fever that lasted a week and after tests it was just a common cold virus. But She is overall acting weakened and just not as energetic. Maybe it’s the cold front adding to that. I’m so sorry about Your sickness, Calypso. I wish You could see my cat family that moved in with us (grandma, mother + two kittens) one of them looks like Your cat!!
Oh it was a surgery!!! I hope You recover quickly!!
Calypso, I hope you feel better soon! I watched Culinary Class Wars and found that fast-forwarding through the repetitions made it move at a tolerable pace, plus fascinating ingredients to work with!
I wish you a speedy recovery, Calypso, and meanwhile, lots of naps and rest. Perfume will always be there once you are ready for it. Take care!
Happy Monday from an embarrassingly warm LA!
Sotd for my Plink Mondays is LV Sun Song. Wish I could send sunshine and warmth to all who need it.
Thank you for being embarrassed! I just opened my utility bill, oh my goodness.
Hello, I’m just going to ask this question here: why do I read so much that Chanel 1932 and 31 Rue Cambon resemble each other? How and why? 1932 to me is one of the most beautiful melodies of a scent. 1932 reminded me of original Chance somehow. It’s like if the colors were reversed and and if original Chance was yellow and purple lining, 1932 was purple with yellow lining and a touch of soft, pastel green in my head. But when I dig deeper 1932 melody comes from deep floral essences. Overall it gives this super chic impression but when pressing the nose hard I detect it’s the floral accords dancing to the melody.
31 Rue Cambon is citrus/black pepper, maybe some patch, incense.
How do they even resemble each other?
I don’t understand that either! I’ve got and love both, I’ve never thought about any similarities.
I agree with you and Gaynor. Cambon is a chypre, albeit without oakmoss. Chanel 1932 is a soft floral. Not a lot of crossover.
Since the end of last year I have been typing up: “Chanel perfume 2027” and refreshing my screen… I still haven’t tried all Chanel perfumes (I have most I guess) but I am so curious what’s the next one going to be like!! The whole thing: the rumors, the news, the ad campaigns… The theme, which direction will go to?
I’m wearing PdN’s Maharanih Intense, I haven’t worn it for a while. It’s softly spicy and I think will cheer me up on a wet and cold day. Our summer has been truly tragic.
What a shame Gaynor, you have my sympathies.
I’m wearing Yardley Lily of the Valley. While I didn’t pick it for the CP, I’ll still try to connect it.
This is “Flo,” one of the symbols of the Milano Olympic Games:
https://img.olympics.com/images/image/private/t_1-1_760/f_auto/primary/qsynw31nowxt2qnmyys9
They’re meant to be snowdrops, but they also look (at least to me) like lily-of-the-valley bells.
Plus, LOTL has a sharp, bright “cold air” opening, then a clean floral glide – so maybe it also connects with luge, skeleton or speed skating?
love it!
That mascot is adorable!!
Excellent work as always!
Beautiful interpretation Glannys! Quite creative!
I watched every hour of the clock all night last night. My monkey mind would not quit.
Essential Parfums Divine Vanille for the day.
I hope you can sleep well tonight.
Yuck. Insomnia sucks. So does the brain that will not shut off.
Ugh, fingers crossed for you tonight!
I should be wearing something like Malle’s Eau d”Hiver to conjure up snow, white landscapes, cold, Winter Olympics, etc. Instead it’s Fendi Theorema, a very generous gift from a dear friend in L.A., who stalked it online. But since Fendi is an Italian firm with a large presence in Milan, the fashion capital of Italy as well as the site of the Olympics, I think it qualifies at least geographically. I’ve been poking my nose in my perfume cabinet and it turns out I have *a lot* of Italian perfumes.
I think any perfume that’s heavy on aldehydes would also work for this week, such as any iteration of Chanel No 5, because IIRC a long-ago story about Coco Chanel and Ernest Beaux, he was inspired to create No. 5 by the sparkling pure white snows of his native Russia.
Yes, he spent time in the arctic circle.
This is a great suggestion for this week’s theme!
Also I feel like I can only wearing aldehydes in the winter LOL
Looking at No. 22…etc etc
I think warm scents like Theorema can symbolize the olympic flame/torch.
Oh that’s quite clever, Glannys!
ITA w DH- quite clever (as usual) Glannys
I can picture a perfumer, in a much worn fur, in the middle of a deep snow Russian Winter, getting input from all five senses and coming up with No. 5!
Excellent, I think I will wear Theorema tomorrow.
DH, love this thinking for the CP! And I understand Theorema to be divine for almost any day, CP or not.
That’s a wacky picture, Robin and I can’t decide if I like it or not! It is less creepy than some pictures of that genre for sure. A first glance on my phone’s small screen made me think of the Tin Woodsman. 😸. My reading recommendation is 1997’s The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures by Anne Fadiman. It was a random grab from the book case of the beach house I stayed in last week. It drew me in because it seemed a great work of reporting that contained the writer’s opinions here and there without attempting to blur facts that easily could lead to a different opinion. Ms Fadiman worked on the book for many years and it is highly regarded but I had never heard of it. No spoilers; it was a great book to just pick up and read. I’m one who always skips intros and jacket chatter until after I start reading. Today I am also one in V&R Ruby Orchid. It is simple and cozy. Off to read comments and get additions for my reading list.
I love that book! She has never done anything else like it, but if you liked her writing I still think you’ll like her other books. Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader is a tiny but fantastic collection of essays.
I will check that out. I especially enjoy a good essay.
SOTD = Valentino Voce Viva
Generic mall scent … but hey, it is Italian. I don’t recall anyone mentioning Valentino lately!
In other news, here’s a NYT gift article on testing yourself to see if you have the strength / stamina of someone your age:
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/22/well/aging-tests-longevity.html?unlocked_article_code=1.JFA.Y9yv.zHa1wSmlZUnM&smid=nytcore-ios-share
I really liked the Voce Viva Intense when I tried it.
Cool article link! Thanks!
Well the Olympics are in Italy starting on Friday so I’d say Valentino definitely gives you CP points HJS!
Happy Groundhog Day! Although Punxsutawney Phil predicted 6 more weeks of winter 😠, Illinois’ very own Woodstock Willie disagreed. Having not seen his shadow, he predicted an early Spring 😁 ! The news’ report said Phil is accurate 30-40% of the time whereas Willie is accurate 60% of the time, so I’m going with Willie!👍
A gloomy day here with a few ❄️ flurries but temps warmed to the upper 20’s. Given what much of the nation is experiencing, no complaints here. SOTD is an inexpensive cologne purchased from Ulta years ago, Cocoa Rose. With notes of bergamot and hyacinth at the top, followed by rose, muguet, jasmine and Iris, and resting on a bed of chocolate, patchouli and musk, it’s fairly complex for a cologne and lasts quite awhile, too.
Wishing all a good week ahead, whichever season ☃️🌿🌻🍁you’re in!
Team Willie!
Yay for Woodstock Willie!
I stand with Willie!!! Thank you.
sotd = L’air du Temps edt
From a vintage splash bottle, it smells like the one my mother wore decades ago. I think of this one as a “comfy oldie” just right for a Monday. 😊
Excellent. I miss splash bottles!
Happy Candlemas NST! And Happy Groundhog Day as well.
Flatiron Freddy did not see his shadow in Boulder this morning, so an early Spring for Colorado. Although quite a few folks here are of the mind that we really haven’t had Winter yet. No groundhogs out here, but plenty of marmots, so that’s the critter of choice.
Was over visiting another one of my cousins this afternoon. I hadn’t seen her since late summer 2024. Stupid life stuff got in the way.
SOTD = back in the older Hypnotic Poison EdT again today. Thunked my Dame Perfumery Osmanthus body butter, so am now using The Body Shop’s Grapefruit Body Yogurt.
Between Flatiron Freddie and Woodstock Willie, I am convinced spring is just around the corner.
Hope you had fun with your cousin!
We had a nice long chat this afternoon. Both she and her husband had some major health challenges in 2025. But it sounds like things are improving, albeit slowly.
She remembers quite a bit about my Mom and other family members who have passed on.
Oh, that’s nice to be able to talk about your mom and others you’ve both lost.
Inspired by Dawn, I wore Infusions d’Iris today as I continue to play nice (but many many sprays of nice🥰).
Even with many sprays I still say it plays nice 🙂
Agreed. Extra nice💕